Christianity and Social Power in the Works of John Arden, British Dramatist.

226 Pages·2017·8.81 MB·English

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1993
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Donald Travis Sandley
Louisiana State University and Agricultural & Mechanical College
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Sandley, Donald Travis, "Christianity and Social Power in the Works of John Arden, British Dramatist."
(1993). LSU Historical Dissertations and Theses. 5543.
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Christianity and social power in the works of John Arden,
British dramatist
Sandley, Donald Travis, Ph.D.
The Louisiana State University and Agricultural and Mechanical Col., 1993
U M I
300 N. ZeebRd.
Ann Arbor, MI 48106

CHRISTIANITY AND SOCIAL POWER IN
THE WORKS OF JOHN ARDEN, BRITISH DRAMATIST
A Dissertation
Submitted to the Graduate Faculty of the
Louisiana State University and
Agricultural and Mechanical College
in partial fulfillment of the
requirements for the degree of
Doctor of Philosophy
in
The Department of Theatre
by
Donald Travis Sandley
B.A., East Texas Baptist University, 1982
M.A., Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, 1986
May 1993
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
The author gratefully acknowledges the patience and teaching
of Dr. Les Wade and the exceptional faculty of the Louisiana State
University Department of Theatre. This work is dedicated to
Lynette Moore Sandley whose faith and sacrifice made this project
possible.
PREFACE
British dramatist John Arden evinces an enigmatic and
distinctive voice in the ranks of twentieth century
playwrights. Arden's career as a writer spans thirty-five
years and includes plays, essays, short fiction and novels.
Arden has achieved wide critical acceptance, if not
commercial reward. Arden was born and reared in Barnsley,
West Yorkshire in 1930, the son of a factory manager. He
studied architecture at King's College, Cambridge and at
Edinburgh University. While at Edinburgh Arden became
interested in writing for the stage. In 1957 his unpublished
radio play "The Life of Man" won a new plays award and
attracted the attention of George Devine, the artistic
director of the Royal Court Theatre. Over the next five
years Arden wrote three plays that were performed at the
Royal Court: The Waters of Babylon (1957), Live Like Piers
(1958), and Serjeant Musgrave's Dance (1959). Following his
association with the Royal Court Theatre, Arden became
increasingly disinterested in the commercial theatre of
London. In 1960 Arden married Irish actress Margaretta
D'Arcy and the two began a writing partnership that produced
plays for community theatre groups and plays for radio.
Their collaborations presented strong political and social
messages. In 1966 the Ardens moved to County Galway, Ireland
iii
and have made this their permanent home.
John Arden's place in British dramatic history was
described by theatre critic Martin Esslin as one of "a major
poet" (Personal Interview, 19 July, 1990). But Arden's turn
to political and social activism alienated many critics.
Today Arden works as a novelist, and though he writes about
the theatre, his efforts are not intended for stage
production.
In the years between his Royal Court association and
his more recent work as a novelist, Arden and D'Arcy wrote
plays that examined social structures and the distribution
of power. This study will focus on the subject of
Christianity as a political and social force in selected
works from the years 1972 to 1990 (the political and
socially conscious works co-authored by Arden and D'Arcy).
Arden examines Christianity as a tool of subjugation
for the controlling powers, and as a source of spiritual
comfort for the oppressed underclasses. For Arden, the
doctrine of "humble service" juxtaposed with a tradition of
subjugation makes the paradox of the Christian church one of
the most significant shaping factors in Western history,
art, and politics. The history of Christianity is, however,
one fraught with division, disagreement, and fragmentation.
The church in Arden's work is exposed and revealed to be not
divine, but human, fallible, and engaged as an organic
iv
participant in history. Arden's observations on
Christianity are set forth in a descriptive not prescriptive
manner, with a prose laced more with poetry than philosophy.
Arden is not detached from his subject. His concern is
genuine and his mourning over humanity's failures heartfelt.
The examination of history in the works of John Arden is
presented through the eyes of a sympathetic pragmatist. His
position alternately assumes the vantage points of history's
winners and losers, yet finally aligns with the unwitting
victims lost in the fray.
John Arden has been the subject of numerous critical
studies and has been involved in the major surveys of modern
British playwrights. The works most germane to this study
include the following:
(1) John Russell Taylor's Anaer and After (London:
Methuen, ed., 1969, pp. 83-105).
(2) Simon Trussler's John Arden (New York: Columbia
University Press, 1973).
(3) Glenda Leeming's John Arden (Harlow: Longman's for
British Council, 1974).
(4) Frances Gray's John Arden (London: MacMillan, 1982).
These four studies, focusing primarily on the three
plays written for the Royal Court, provide a concise
overview of Arden's work to 1982. A dissertation, published
in 1985 by Shah Jaweedul Malick for McGill University